Cherry Blossom Infatuation
by SweetStarling
Summary: The first scent of a cherry blossom always beckons for more. Rukia and Byakuya pairing. Lemon/smut to be expected.
1. Chapter 1

**This is my first story on here. I was inspired by the many wonderful stories that were written by others. I hope you all enjoy what I write. **

**Disclaimer: I certainly don't own bleach.  
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"Eyes of Truth"

The Chappy alarm clock blared fiercely in the morning silence as Rukia tried hard to remain in a succulent dream she could almost taste it was so sweet.

"Who am I kidding…" Rukia said to herself with a sigh as she finally smacked her hand down on the button to stop the clock's annoying chatter.

The confusion started to build as she tried to retrace the events of the dream… The man in her dream seemed so familiar to her. It was blurry though. The face, hands, and chest were all smudged as the moments unfolded before her sleep stained eyes. _Could it have been?_ She wondered.

She gasped as she came to the realization.

"It was Nii-sama?!" She was having a mental breakdown as she sat up in her bed, wiping the beads of sweat off her brow. How in the world could I have been dreaming about Nii-sama? True, he had been somewhat nicer to her lately after saving her from that Bount, but how could she be having these feelings about her brother?

She finally jumped up from her bed and darted to her closet to pull out her robes. Dressing quickly and tying her obi sash snuggling about her waist, she dashed to the kitchen to grab something in a hurry to avoid seeing her brother in the dining room.

_There is no way I can see him today, that's for certain_. She thought as she stumbled through the door.

She munched on some buttered toast that a servant had luckily forgot to take to the table, tossing back a glass of OJ she poured in her haste. She moved out from the kitchen and peered down the hall to make sure the coast was clear. No one was in sight. She made a hurried exit from the kitchen and ventured towards the entry hall, the swinging door making a slight noise behind her.

She sighed in relief as she reached the front door. A particularly embarrassing moment avoided. _God, I_ _hope my work will keep my mind off of all this today._ She seriously doubted this.

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Rukia's robes started to cling to her body as she worked in the heat of the office. A stack of paperwork had thankfully been assigned to her. She parted her lips to let out a small sigh as she finished document after document, her writing hand starting to cramp up a bit from all the work. She glanced to the clock to see it was rather late in the afternoon and soon would be quitting time.

Despite all the work her mind kept drifting back to this morning. His lips on hers had just felt so incredibly real! _I wonder what Nii-sama is doing right now…_ Rukia mused to herself as she smiled a moment, looking down at her finished work._ No! I shouldn't even be humoring that idea… He could never feel that way about me!_

The door opened as Captain Ukitake came in. He looked at the Rukia with concern as she frowned silently to herself, staring at cherry wood desk in front of her.

"Rukia? Are you alright?" Ukitake said quietly as he went to gather the papers from her desk.

"Ohh!" She jumped a bit as she finally refocused on the real world once again. "Sorry taichou, I was just thinking. Nothing to worry about!" She gave him her best fake smile she could and he seemed to buy it as he nodded before sauntering away.

"Do go get some air to clear that head of yours by taking off early," He called back as he closed the door behind him.

Rukia gazed out the window at the sakura blossoms falling softly from the trees and gliding on the wind to the ground. How she would love to roll around in the flowers with Byakuya. _Wait! I'm not supposed to be thinking of things like this. Maybe some air would do me some good._

She hurried out of the office quickly, her mind a whirlwind of thoughts as she felt the warm sticky air hit her. The breeze was the only thing reviving her from her daze as she headed off towards home.

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Dinner time had come and she knew it was unavoidable to be in his presence this time when a servant awaited her at her quarters to escort her to the dining room.

The servant was dressed in a humble gray dress with a white apron over it. Her hair was tied back and she wore a tired smile. With a low bow she greeted her. "Miss Kuchiki, I'm here on master Kuchiki's orders to bring you personally to dinner since you decided to skip your morning meal with him."

Rukia nodded weakly, offering her a meek smile. "Of course. Let me wash up and I'll be right out." She slipped inside her quarters a moment and closed the door, leaning her back against it with a drawn out sigh. _I can't even avoid him this time. I hope I can keep it together around him when I see him. _

She hurriedly went to her moderately sized bathroom, which had a theme of jasmines. The tiles on the floor were a pale purple. The tile in the shower was elegantly decorated with the flower. Her favorite feature was the landscape scene painted on the wall, which featured a garden of jasmines with a humming bird sipping from one of the many flowers. All of the towels and things were a shade of purple as well, even the soap smelled of jasmine. She washed her hands and face, closing her eyes a moment as she tried to keep herself calm.

She returned to the hall where the servant was waiting still. "Shall we be off then, Miss Kuchiki?" the servant queried. "Hai, Let's not keep him waiting any longer than necessary," Rukia said as she followed the woman down the hall and into the dining room. As she entered she saw him sitting on the far side of the broad table sipping a cup of team with a distant expression on his face. He looked up and gave her a small nod.

"I wanted to be sure you came to dinner tonight, so I sent Martha to fetch you. It's nice to spend at _least_ one meal together now and then," Byakuya said with a cold bite to his words. Rukia bowed to him from the other side of the table before sitting down. "Sorry Nii-sama, I just haven't had been able to make it lately."

He seemed to barely hear as he started eating, hardly noticing her the remainder of the meal. Or so it seemed from Rukia's point of view. Rukia was just as happy to keep the silence as he was. He couldn't help but look at her petite frame as she clumsily ate her peas, dropping a few into her lap. His face remained passive, but he was smiling inside. _When had he first noticed she was this beautiful? _Byakuya thought to himself as his gaze fell to her rosy lips. His entire being felt drawn to her, the craving for her body fueled by her every movement and sound Rukia made.

Rukia's heart was racing the entire dinner as she tried to quickly consume everything. She couldn't help but feel her brother's eyes burning into her as she dropped her food clumsily. _God! What an idiot I must look like! _She let her eyes meet his a few times through out, smiling to him as casually as she could, but his face remained passive despite her goodwill. Sometimes she just didn't understand him, even though deep down she wanted to. She wanted to taste, smell, and hear him just like she had him in her dream. Perhaps it would always be a dream.

After finishing the meal, they each stood. Rukia bowed once more. "Good night Nii-sama."

"Good night Rukia," Byakuya said as his eyes held hers for a moment. The dark orbs glinted something she hadn't seen before. Blushing she hurried off towards her room and threw herself onto her bed. She knew it probably just had been her imagination getting the best of her.

**Thanks for reading ^_^**.


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank you to those that have reviewed. I appreciate any feedback or appreciation. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own bleach, even though I'd like to.**

**  
**"The Signature"

Things had gone similarly as yesterday morning. Avoiding Byakuya was starting to be a real talent of Rukia's, even though she was not proud of it. In her heart she really _needed_ to see him, but some how she just had to keep herself away. _Less embarrassment that way…_

Captain Ukitake had taken another sick day off as usual it seemed, leaving Rukia and the others with a bunch of work to make up in his absence. Sorting out the documents on her desk, she slowly organized them into greatest to least priority, so that the essential things would be done as soon as possible. She gasped as she saw that some of the urgent papers required the signature of the 6th squad captain…her Nii-sama. _I've got to get out of this. _Grabbing the papers quickly, she jumped up and headed out in search of a solution.

She ventured around the 13th squad headquarters walking around a corridor of the squad house with a thoughtful expression. Her sandals made a small scuffing sound on the ash wood floors as she continued on her way. Then it came to her… She would look for either Kiyone or Sentaro so she could possibly push the work off on one of them. She turned a corner and heard their bickering a bit down the main hall in the captain's office.

"No, no! I get to sign that document!" Kiyone whined.

"I think not! You can just keep out of this and draw kitties like you always do. Ukitake knows I am the best!" Sentaro piped back.

"That's ridiculous!" screeched Kiyone as steam seemed to be coming out of his ears. He gave an angry stomp on the ground before jumping over the desk and trying to tug the papers from Sentaro's grasp like a wild monkey. A heated tug-o-war began as Rukia stood in the now open door, her violet eyes going wide in surprise.

"Guys! Guys!" Rukia said in a calming yet firm tone. She waved her arms around over her head with the documents in hand, trying to get their attention. "Can you listen just a minute, and then you can… continue your little argument!"

They both turned towards her a moment, only to continue arguing and fighting until she could not even hear herself thinking. The only thing that **did** come through the noise was when the paper finally tore noisily at the middle between their hands, sending them both flying back in either direction. Rukia was quickly forgotten to have ever being there as the two jumped each other and started fighting and arguing once again. Rukia sighed and turned from the office, heading out with her head down, knowing full well what she must now do.

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Byakuya sat in his office in the 6th squad house looking over a few things as Renji Abarai prattled on about his reports. "Yeah Captain, I really got that fake spiritual adviser that attacked a member of the squad last weak. I showed her!" Renji bragged, grinning to himself as he puffed out his chest in a triumphant stance, very caught up in his own story.

The captain sighed inwardly and he gave a vague nod, though his head was entirely somewhere else.

_He held her hand softly in his as he guided her down the small pathway to the garden by the Kuchiki mansion. Smiling to himself, he watched the vulnerable Rukia follow behind him, having covered her eyes with a dark blue silk handkerchief. Walking through the entry way to the garden he finally turned back befo-_

"Byakuya Taichou? Are you listening?" Renji queried as he tried to hide the scowl that wanted to come to his face as the Captain seemed to come back from whatever world he had been in.

"That's enough Renji. Submit this on paper if you really are interested in me knowing all the details. I do not have time for your distractions at this time." Byakuya said with a bored tone, waving his hand dismissively, giving him a nonchalant look as the lieutenant's shoulders drooped in defeat with a nod. As Renji started to leave Byakuya added, "and take this stack of paperwork with you to complete for me by tomorrow."

Renji's jaw dropped as he saw the tower of papers on the desk in from of him. He nodded once more before leaning down and grabbing them all up in his arms. "Hai, Taicho."

As the door closed behind him, his thoughts went back to Rukia, a smile coming to his face as he leaned back in his chair. _Thank god. Alone at last. _

A knock came at the door just as he began at the garden scene once more. He gave an exasperated sigh as he responded in a stern voice, "Renji, I told you not to bother me right now."

Rukia gave a puzzled look at the other side of the door. "It's me, Nii-sama."

He sat up straighter in surprise as he looked to the door. "You may enter."

As she came into his office she was met by a Byakuya she did not recognize. He seemed to be happy to see her, a soft smile gracing that usually icy exterior. Her eyes couldn't help but linger on that smile as she thought about how it would be to kiss those inviting lips.

"Rukia, you have business with me?" He queried as he stared at her hands, which were holding several documents. Slowly his eyes ventured up to her breasts, lingering there only a moment before moving to her eyes.

Rukia blushed as she came back to realization why she had come. "Oh, yes Nii-sama. Sorry. These documents need your signature. They are urgent." He couldn't help but smile again as he saw her eyes look away in embarrassment, noting how beautiful her complexion was with the added red hue to her cheeks.

"Of course, I will see to them right now if you do not mind waiting for them." Byakuya said matter-of-factly.

She shook her head and laid them down in front of him on the desk. As she did, something overtook him. His hand flashed forward and he grabbed her slender wrist, producing a small gasp from Rukia, as her violet eyes went wide with surprise. "Nii-sama!"

A fraction of a second later he had leaned forward over the desk and had closed the distance between their mouths, leaving only a breath's distance between them. He took in her scent. Jasmine overflowed his nose as he sighed heavenly. She smelled just as wonderful as he had imagined so many times. "…Rukia," he managed to whisper huskily before brushing his lips over hers before releasing her wrist and sitting back in his high back chair once again.

As he sat back it was as if it had never happened, his expression blank once again as he set to his work. He signed the papers quickly one by one before handing them to her with a passive expression. "Rukia, if that is all, I will see you at dinner tonight. Do not be late." His eyes seemed to twinkle a bit as they held hers the briefest of moments, his fingers barely brushing hers as he brought his hand back to his lap. She nodded quietly as she took the papers and dashed from his office, quickly shutting the door behind her.

His eyes fell to the door as he finally let himself react to what he had done. A feeling of warmth grew deep within him as he went over the events, yet it was also paired with uneasiness. Rukia had been so stiff the entire time, but he couldn't help but realize that her lips had ever so briefly reacted to his own when he kissed her. _Oh, how soft they were… _It was no longer innocent anymore. No longer something that just went on in his head. _What came over me to make me act so wreckless? _He sighed as he ran a hand over the kenseikan in his hair with his left hand, while loosening his scarf a bit with his right. _I had swore to never step over the line after adopting Rukia into the family… and now this? Something so good like this has to be against the rules. _

Finally he let all rational thoughts go as he decided he would confront Rukia tonight at dinner, hoping to figure out these feelings between them.

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Rukia was in shock still. Her body had reacted so strongly just from his hand on her wrist, let alone smelling the captivating scent of cherry blossom. Thumping loudly in her ears, her heart kept her in la-la land a moment longer. She brought her right hand up, brushing two fingers thoughtfully over her lips as she relived the feeling of his lips on hers. Then she was puzzled once again. _Why had he acted like nothing had happened after the kiss? Did I really just imagine it all? Is the heat really getting to me that badly? _ She shrugged her shoulders as she sat back in her chair in the office of 13th squad. Nothing had been done since those papers had been signed by him. She just could not think straight. _Hopefully the consequences won't be too serious for slacking just one day. _ The clock struck 5 p.m. as she came to the realization it was time to head home for dinner. His eyes remained the only clue to her to what was going on inside the intriguing Byakuya Kuchiki.

**Thanks for reading. Updates to come...as soon as I can write them. ^^ Reviews= a happy me! **


	3. Chapter 3

**Yet another chapter for my readers. Thanks again for the kind words and the hopes for updates. **

**Disclaimer: I own my nifty glasses, but I don't own bleach. ^^ **

"The Confession"

Rukia looked to the sky as the sun began to set. Shades of purple, orange, and yellow swirled around the simmering orb as it extinguished itself amongst the land. Its lunar counterpart still M.I.A for the moment. She was still hazy when it came to what had happened earlier this afternoon with Byakuya. Exhaling softly she picked up the pace and made her way the rest of the way home.

As she entered the dining room, she looked around in a confused manner… There was nothing on the table and the room was empty. Walking over the table she just stood there staring at the wood as if it were going to somehow give her the answer she was looking for so desperately. She looked at the grandfather clock lining the west wall of the room and it was exactly the time dinner always was… but still there was no one here. _I'm not late… so where is he? _

Several moments later she still just stood there. So lost in this world of her own, she failed to notice someone flash behind her. A hand was gently placed on her right shoulder, jolting her out of her daze. A small shocked sound came from her lips as she tried to turn, but the hand kept her still. She looked to the hand and immediately recognized it as Byakuya's.

"Now…I wonder where dinner is" he whispered into her ear in a somewhat amused tone, his breath on her neck sending a shiver through her body. Rukia stood there silently, just staring at the table in a dumbfounded manner, still not understanding the situation at all. He finally turned her to face him, but she still did not look up. There was something else that her eyes had come to focus on in his left hand… A picnic basket?

"Ah, I see that you have noticed it," Byakuya said as he swayed the basket back and forth in his hand. He could not help but notice the cute expression she wore, so lost and nervous.

"Is… is that our dinner?" Rukia said in a confused manner, still ogling the basket to avoid having to meet his gaze that she felt moving over her body.

"Hai. After this afternoon I wanted to have dinner with you in a different setting. Somewhere that I thought would be special for… the topic at hand," he said with a genuine smile, which was unnoticed by the petite shinigami. "Now if you would, come with me," he murmured quickly as he slipped his right hand down to take her left as they started to move towards the southern door of the room, leading to the hallway. Slowly making their way through the hall, Rukia noticed how deserted the hall looked, none of the servants about cleaning or tidying like they always are. "Nii-sama, where are all the servants tonight?" He glanced back a moment and chuckled. "You don't miss a thing now do you?" Byakuya teased, making her blush as she waited for him to go on. "Well~, I gave them the night off so we would not be disturbed." _Wow. This must be really serious._ Rukia thought as her hand held his, hoping he wouldn't notice her palms sweating from her nervousness.

They continued on past the library, several bedrooms, and the office as they came to the door leading outside to the Kuchiki private garden on the side of the mansion. Opening the door smoothly with his left hand, he moved through and allowed Rukia to follow, moving back to close it behind them.

_Is this a date?_ Rukia thought to herself as she looked to the blue and white checkered blanket that had already been laid out. It was just off to the left of the centerpiece of the garden, a large fountain.

The fountain had a round granite base, with tiers of round granite on top. Water came up through the center and elegantly cascaded down the levels and down into the base. Several trees lined the corners of the garden, while there was a cross-like pathway with four quadrants of flowers that included lilies, roses, and daffodils.

Byakuya released her hand and settled down on the blanket, patting the blanket in indication for her to sit. Sitting down across from him, she couldn't help but let her gaze wander off once again from her nervousness. Putting the basket down beside them, he looked at Rukia, who was staring off towards a Japanese maple in the corner of the garden to the northeast.

As he started to remove the food from the basket while she settled in a bit, he couldn't help but notice how beautifully the evening light shined off her raven colored hair. As she heard his movements she glanced over to him to see him offering her a bowl of rice, mixed with teriyaki steak and vegetables. "Arigatou, Nii-sama," she said as she took it gingerly from his hold and began to eat. The meal went on quietly a few moments longer before he could not take the silence anymore.

"Do you like the food?" his voice devoid of emotion as usual, her feeling of uneasiness seeming to be contagious.

"Hai, this is very… nice of you to do." Rukia said with another half-hearted smile as she hurriedly ate. The silence remained once more and soon all the food was gone, both setting their dishes aside on the blanket. She looked away once more off at the flowers thoughtfully running a hand through her hair.

"Rukia, I would appreciate it if you would look at me," he said calmly as he tried to coax her. She slowly turned her head, finally looking into his eyes. A smile faintly touched his lips, as he reached out for her hand once more. _Nii-sama looks so different when he smiles…So handsome. _She almost swooned as she allowed him to take it, a tense smile crossing her lips as well.

"I have a confession, Rukia." Byakuya said softly. Rukia's violet eyes widened as she nodded, listening to him intently. "I have been thinking of you for quite some time now."

"What about me?" She responded quickly.

Smiling again, still a surprise to Rukia, he dropped his voice as he leaned forward to whisper in her ear. "Thoughts of you and I together…as much more than brother and sister."

Was she hearing him right? Had she lost her mind? Was this drop dead gorgeous man confessing having the same feelings she had been experiencing? It was mind boggling to her. She was speechless. _Say something Rukia… something! _ She screamed to herself, but nothing came out as she just sat there stunned. Then she felt his lips brush over the outside of her ear softly. She gave a murmur of surprise as she shuddered, her hand squeezing his gently, his squeezing back in response.

In a swift movement he grabbed her and brought her into his lap, her right side against his chest. Enveloping her in his arms, he looked deeply into her eyes for a sign to move on. The fear in her eyes was definitely a deterrent.

"Was I wrong in thinking you might reciprocate these feelings?" He queried in a quiet voice.

She finally found her voice, though barely above a whisper as well. "But… you're… my Nii-s- ," he stopped her from finishing by pressing his finger against her lips.

"That is not an issue with me anymore. After you left my office today I realized that I can't imagine living in a place like this with you, with feelings like these, and still feeling alone. It's not like us being together is so taboo. Often brothers and sisters of nobility are purposely matched with one another. Sure they are of the same blood usually, but that's just technical details I don't care to think of."

She seemed to relax in his arms a bit. "Then… these feelings…" she swallowed hard trying to continue. "that we share…are alright?"

"Everything is more than alright…" He smiled softly before leaning down and pressing his soft lips to hers for a breath-taking moment. As they both closed their eyes a soft breeze scattered flower petals in the wind, the pair warm in each other's presence despite the cool air blowing over their skin. Rukia whimpered quietly at the feeling of his lips, their closeness, all of it. Interlacing her arms around his neck she pressed her lips back into his, never wanting the sweetness to stop. Byakuya could feel himself getting lost in the moment as he tightened his hold around her waist, pressing their chests closer together.

At last he pulled back and looked deeply into her eyes. "See. How could something that feels so right, be wrong?" Byakuya said in a light-hearted manner. She nodded shyly, incapable to stop herself from blushing still at this new found closeness. "I know what you mean… now," she murmured quietly.

He got up swiftly, keeping her cradled in his arms, and flashed back inside. Moving back down the hall, he stopped at her room. Letting her stand once more on her own, he stood in front of her, looking quite pleased. Thoughts were whirling around in her head as usual. The night had been so reminiscent of her dream, but she tried not to compare that now. There was plenty of time later for that….

"I enjoyed our time together tonight Rukia… I do hope we can do it again soon. I've never seen you look more radiant than in the moonlight."

She blushed deeply as she remained still, smiling at the compliment. "Arigatou…I hope we can too… Byakuya." He smirked as she finally seemed to realize he wanted her to use his name.

"Then I'll bid you goodnight." He said with a look of longing in his eyes as he framed her face in his hands, leaning down to kiss her lips once more.

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His sweet intent lingered even after he departed as she lay in bed that night. She couldn't even remember if she had responded with more than her lips, but it didn't matter anymore. All the world was rose colored now that she had the affection of Byakuya Kuchiki.

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Byakuya had returned to the scene in the garden immediately after dropping Rukia off. It had taken all of his composure not to take her then and there out in the garden. He may have said it was appropriate for them to be together, but he wasn't all that sure he wanted others that may come by hearing them making love. He sighed softly to himself as he gazed up at the stars, utterly content at the current status of things. Rukia, the one he had so long admired from afar, no longer seemed intangible.

**Thanks for reading 3**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Hey Everyone. It's been a good while since I updated. I blame life.**

**I don't own Bleach in any way. I just mess with Byakuya and Rukia for giggles. **

"Training"

Sleep hadn't come easy to Rukia that night. She couldn't help but spin the scene over and over in her head, trying to make it make more sense than the fact she had romantic feelings blooming for her brother.

It seemed like the worst thing that could happen. Her sheets clung to her lightly sweaty skin as she turned for what seemed the thousandth time. She could only imagine how terrible her hair must look at this point.

Sighing softly, she buried her face in her pillow, lying on her belly. It was pointless to try to make sense of it. It just was. She would just have to accept the fact that there was something there. . . no matter how awkward it would make things in Seireitei for her. She felt sick just thinking about anyone else knowing about it.

Mid-thought her Chappy alarm clock started to blare annoyingly once more, starting another day. She hadn't even realized the sun had come up, let alone it being time to get up. Letting out another exasperated sigh, she flung the moist sheet away from her body and clambered up to get dressed.

Her heart fluttered in her chest as she stepped out of her room, dressed in her shinigami robes, ready to face the day. She looked determined as she headed towards the dining room, her steps much more steady than what she actually felt.

Peering into the dining room from the hall, she realized that it was empty once more. Her heart fell in slight disappointment as she headed for her chair.

_Where is he? Maybe it's better this way. I know I can finally eat in peace this way…and I haven't been eating much lately…I don't need Unohana Taichou realizing something is wrong too!_

Quickly she ate a small spinach quiche, relishing in the taste of the mild white cheese to compliment the dish. Thoughtfully she toyed with her napkin a few more moments. _I'm not waiting for Byakuya. I'm just enjoying the wonderful detail of this elegant napkin. Right…Keep telling yourself that Rukia._

With another glance to the hall, she slumped her shoulders when she couldn't wait any longer. Quickly she flashed out of the manor and made her way through Seireitei towards 13th squad barracks.

Deep in her thoughts, her head down slightly, she hadn't realized someone was walking on the path too. Rukia gasped as she collided abruptly with a certain orange haired substitute shinigami.

"Rukia!" Ichigo exclaimed in slight surprise, laced with irritation.

Rukia looked mortified, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment. "Ichigo! I'm really so sorry! … I just… I." She looked away as she couldn't come up with an explanation to why she was so distracted.

Ichigo looked confused, but just shrugged. "No problem… You do seem to have something on your mind though. You wanna talk about it?"

Rukia brought herself to smile weakly and waved her hands quickly in front herself in a dismissive fashion.

"No, really, I'm fine! I ..uh…just haven't been doing well in training lately. That's…all."

She couldn't help but let out a nervous laugh as she looked down the path towards her squad building. _Kami, why hadn't I been watching where I was going? How am I going to get away from Ichigo without him finding out I'm lieing! I'm so terrible at this!_

Ichigo looked blankly at her a moment and then let out a short laugh, seeming to have bought her explanation.

"You know Rukia, I could help you train!"

He smiled and gave her an abrupt playful thump on her back, but the force made her take a few paces forward. She laughed awkwardly and nodded as she straightened her robes.

"Geez Rukia, you really are kinda out of it. You need the training help more than I thought." Ichigo laughed and looked towards 13th squad at last too. "Let's use your squad's training grounds, with Ukitake's permission."

Rukia nodded numbly, happy that he was just accepting her lie, and not catching on to the fact it was her thinking about her missing Nii-sama which had her all flustered.

They made their way over, Rukia gesturing Ichigo on while she quickly went to attain her Taichou's permission, but, as usual, he was missing-in-action. With a sigh she headed towards the training grounds after Ichigo. _It's no wonder I'm under-trained. My Taichou seems to be absent most days._

Stepping outside she took a look at the large fenced in training area. The grass was short, and the area was lined with a large privacy fence to make sure there were no distractions. It was rather large to permit ample room for training, an area set aside with dummies to practice kidou and zanjutsu whenever another squad member wasn't present.

Ichigo looked cool and calm as lifted his hand over his shoulder, unraveling his zanpakutou from its white cloth binding. Rukia still looked dazed off at the fence towards the north, her thoughts getting the best of her. _Maybe he decided it was all a mistake. That brother and sister shouldn't be together. No…he sounded so sure last night. _ Worry laced her thoughts as she went over the night over and over again right in front of Ichigo, her hand stilled on the hilt of her zanpakutou at her hip.

"Ahem" Ichigo cleared his throat as Rukia snapped back to the present. _Right…training. Ichigo. _

Blushing again, she let out a small laugh and made another silly excuse. "I was just trying to remember if I heard Ukitake Taichou properly a moment ago..." she stammered as she looked towards the ground.

Before Ichigo could respond, as he almost did, Rukia interjected, "Common, let's do this!"

Rukia drew her blade and rushed Ichigo, her mind finally focusing on the crisp details of the match before her.

-x-

It had been a lovely night. But there is something about the night that made everything seem so much easier than when the sun came up.

Byakuya had been called away early in the morning for a meeting with the Taichous. Everything had gone smoothly for the most part and it was just a run through for everyone. Internally he had been going over the night in his head, missing most of what was said unless someone directly spoke to him.

There were new prospects for squad 6 at the academy that needed to be tested. He had gotten several notices, but for some reason they wanted to tell him in person too. He sighed softly to himself and nodded once simply for their benefit.

Once he escaped the mundane meeting he headed to the academy and did the testing without a hitch. Two of the three weren't pathetic, a pleasant surprise to him, and he went and signed their papers to allow the transfer into his squad.

Escaping the academy as quickly as he could, he paused as she spotted a lily. He plucked it from the ground and sniffed it a moment while looking to the sky. _Rukia, what are you doing now?_

He turned and headed towards 13th squad without realizing he was going there. He hadn't even realized he flash stepped the whole way to make the time pass more quickly, but there he was.

Entering the building, he followed Rukia's reiatsu. _It's elevated…she's fighting someone? _ Slight worry barely creased his brow before he took on his steely outward expression once again as he heard the sounds of blades clashing against each other.

He spotted them together from the shadows of the doorway and subtly concealed his reiatsu. He started to crush the lily in his hand out of irritation at seeing them. The flower was nothing but mush a moment later as she dropped it to the ground. _Hopefully they are too busy to notice me. Whatever is that stupid human doing here anyways? I hate seeing them together…_

Byakuya watched as Ichigo kept her in defense. His lip lifted slightly in disgust at the way he was winning against his prized Rukia. She seemed to be losing her footing and her swipes at Ichigo started to look desperate. Ichigo flash stepped behind her and brought his blade down on her shoulder, stopping from cutting her but staying there in place.

"Rukia…" Ichigo murmured softly as he placed his hand on her other shoulder, before dropping his blade down to the side. "You really need to get your head in the game. If I was a hollow, I can only imagine what would have happened to you."

Rukia hung her head, both of their backs to Byakuya now. With a soft sigh she fingered the hilt of her zanpakutou, speaking in a defeated tone. "Sorry, Ichigo. I don't know what is wrong with me. Thanks for your help though…"

Silently Byakuya kept watching, sneering. _How could that little worm dare put his hands on my Rukia? What the hell? _Exhaling softly he made a loud clearing of his throat as he stepped into the field.

"Rukia." He said in a detached tone. "I agree. That was a poor show of how far you've come as a shinigami. I'll be discussing this with Ukitake Taichou and yourself as soon as possible."

He had to avoid smiling as Rukia and Ichigo turned to see his cold stare, but then he realized how annoyed he felt at Ichigo having been so close to Rukia. But he couldn't place exactly why he felt that way. Making his face almost look hard once more, he said calmly, "That's all. Continue as you were."

Walking out almost too quickly, he felt the heat bubbling in his stomach. _The nerve! I can't believe she'd even associate with that low-life substitute shinigami after last night. Can't she even realize the way he was pawing away at her shoulder? Sick. I feel sick. _

Gripping the hilt of his zanpakutou without realizing it, his knuckles started turning white as he tightened his grip. Shinigami from all squads were on the path as he passed, looking up at him in subtle fear as they ducked out his way. It would be a long remainder of the day for him. _Got to get some quiet..._

6th squad headquarters were peaceful as he made his way towards his office. Unfortunately the peace didn't hold up as Renji spotted him and started blabbing about training, paperwork, and etcetera. He just couldn't be bothered with this nonsense right now. Slamming the door in his face, he went and sat heavily in his seat behind his desk. Propping an elbow on the desk and leaning into his palm he started to deliberate about what to do about this nagging feeling in his stomach.

_I can't be jealous of her? Can I? Already? Here I thought I was over feeling so strongly about a woman after my wife… But it feels exactly the same. Is it because she looks so similar? Is it because I've really felt this way about her for much longer than I let on? Why can't I just get her out of my head? Every breath I've taken lately seems to be convoluted with her intoxicating scent that lingers with me. Just make it stop. Pride is at stake here…_

**A/N: So closes another chapter. Reviews are better than a brooding Byakuya. 3**


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